A/N: More from my story on Anthro-Pokèmon.
Disclaimers: I don't own Pokèmon or any related products, but I do own this story so don't go coping it!!!
Chapter 2 – Awakening
Another day has almost come and gone. I can't imagine what else could go wrong. Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door. A single battle has been lost, but not the war, because tomorrow may be another day, and I'm not helpless anyway so bring on the pain. – Short song by Airia.
He slowly opened his eyes. A bright light shone down on him, but when he tried to lift his hand to block out the light, he noticed that his arm was fastened to the table. Around him stood a total of five people, unable to tell whom they were because the light was blinding him. He moved his mouth, trying to say something, but no sound came out.
"Look sir, he's trying to talk," said one figure.
"I can see that," shouted the Professor. "Now dear boy, just relax, all we want to do is take a good look at you."
He moved his mouth again, and just as before, no sound.
"Sir, what do you think he's saying?" asked another voice.
'What do you think I'm trying to say? I'm asking you where the hell am I??? Can't you understand me???' He couldn't understand why they couldn't hear him, or why he couldn't hear himself.
He tried to speak again, this time with more force than before.
"WHERE…?" he screamed out.
"Sir, he spoke" exclaimed a voice, one that had spoken before.
"I told you idiot, I'm not stupid, I can hear just as good as you." The Professor looked at him. "Don't worry, just relax. There's no need to be worried."
'Yea, right, no need to be worried. You're not the one strapped to a table with a light beaming down in your face! How can I relax with you staring down at me! Urgh, why can't you just tell me where I am!' The boy didn't understand what was going on, and why they wanted him to relax
'Do as they say' came a voice in his head.
'What? Who…who are you?' he asked the voice.
'Don't worry about that, just do as they ask and all will be alright' came the voice again.
'But who are you, where are you and how are you talking to me inside my head?' he questioned the voice again; at least someone was talking to him.
'Hush, there's no need to worry about me, just do as they ask and relax' said the voice.
The voice didn't seem to worry him much, as it was soothing unlike the voices of the scientists. He did as he was told and relaxed.
"There, that's not too hard is it?" asked the Professor.
There was no reply.
"Hmmmm must have gone to sleep. Well it doesn't matter, we need to just check to see which parts are human and which are…um which Pokèmon is he again?" asked the professor, his memory failing on him again.
"Arbok sir" came the reply.
"Ah, yes, he's our Arbok boy. That means we need to look for snake like features."
The scientists examined the boy, finding out which parts of him were human, and which were not. Meanwhile, the other creatures were also sensing their surroundings.
A youth in a white lab coat ran up to the professor, a concerned expression on his face.
"Sir, there is a problem in pod number four" he said, with an anxious tone.
"What is it Jale?" asked the professor, slightly annoyed.
"Sir, there has been a rapid increase in the pod. There are fears the that stasis fluid may ignite" was the reply
"What! Why didn't you warn me sooner?" exclaimed the Professor. "I strictly told you all to inform me if there were any changes made by the creatures. Now which one is in pod four, and take me to it!"
'Pod four? What is he talking about? Argh, I don't understand any of this, and what the hell is an Arbok? 'The boy questioned himself again, but this time there came no reply from the voice.
The Professor followed Jale to the pod room. Crowed around the fourth pod were a group of scientists trying to figure out what had caused the sudden increase in temperature. The Professor pushed his way to the front and looked at the creature.
Her position wasn't curled up like the others, she was spread out, her back arched, her arms pushing against the walls of the pod, the nine long golden tails flowing in all directions. Her eyes were closed tight, her head thrown backwards. The stasis fluid bubbled as the heat increased at an alarming rate. If the heat continued to rise the glass would break and the fluid ignite, the girl inside had no idea what she was doing, but to her it seemed the only thing to do.
"Why are you just standing around? Get her out of there!" screamed the Professor.
The scientists did as they were told and began running around the pod room looking for things to free the girl with, but they were all to late, the glass broke, spilling the fluid all across the floor and burning. The girl hung there, held by the numerous cables that connected her to a computer for monitoring.
"Stupid, stupid morons!!" bellowed the Professor. "She's probably dead now and its all your fault! Why didn't you warn me sooner!!"
"Well ummm s…sir we thought it was normal for the temperature to rise, but not that high or fast" said a scientist trying to reassure the Professor.
"I don't care what your thought! We've already lost one and I didn't want to lose another, or didn't you understand me?" said the professor as he beat the scientist over the head.
"S…sir…" came a shaky voice from Jale.
"What is it now Jale? Can't you see I'm…" he didn't finish what he was saying as he looked up at what Jale was pointing at.
The girl's eyes were wide open, a mean look within them. Her feet/paws just touched the base of the pod, and her stance gave her the appearance she was very, very (emphasis on angry here) angry. Her hands were clenched tight, fluid dripping from them. All of the scientists knew what she was going to do, and they all backed away in fear. Throwing back her head she drew in a huge breath and did just as the scientists expected, she released a huge burst of flames, melting the mask and burnt the end of the Professor's lab coat as he fled in fear. A total of three machines were destroyed in the blast, another two, almost burnt to a crisp. She stood there, breathing heavily, her eyes glaring around.
'You shouldn't have done that' came a voice within the girl's head.
'Wha? Who are you?' questioned the girl.
'It doesn't matter, you just shouldn't have done that.' replied the voice.
'Huh? I don't care. It seemed like the only thing to do at the time.' She replied.
There came no reply. The girl just ignored it and glared at the Professor, Jale and the others. Slowly, the Professor tried to approach her.
"Now, now child, there was no need for that. Just settle down and we'll have you sorted out right away," he said, trying to comfort her.
She glared at him with her huge blood red eyes causing him to back away. She tried to talk, but just as the Arbok boy had tried to talk before, no sound came out.
'What? Why can't I speak? I know what to say, but I can't say it.' Her mind raced as she tried to find the answers to her questions.
"What shall we do with her Sir?" asked Jale.
"I have no idea Jale. She won't let us go anywhere near her to get her out of those cables."
"Maybe if one of us stayed with her, to gain her trust, then maybe we could get her to co-operate with us then" suggested Jale.
"Good idea Jale, you'll do it then"
"Wha…But sir I!"
"It doesn't matter, you're in charge of our Ninetales girl, got that Jale?"
Jale nodded.
"Right, the rest of you, get back to your posts, unless they're in the pod room, I want you to go somewhere else. How about you all go look at something shiny for a while?" ordered the Professor and with that they all left Jale with the girl.
He looked at her and she gave him a blank stare. Sighing he tried to make conversation.
"Soooo you're a Anthro-Pokèmon then eh?" he asked her, looking for somewhere to sit.
She gave him no reply, just a blank stare.
"Well ummm miss, do you have a name?"
'Name? I don't know what that is? Who am I?' She questioned herself, but did not talk to Jale.
She stared at him, blinking once.
"No name eh?"
He found a stool, placed it in front of her and sat down. She just watched what he did, her eyes staring blankly. He looked up at her from his seat.
"So you don't have a name, I guess I better give you one then."
'What is a name???' she questioned again.
'Its what people call you. It makes you an individual. Everyone should have a name' came the voice again.
'You again! If everyone should have a name, what is yours?' she asked the voice.
No reply.
'Tell me now!' she asked again, this time more furiously.
'You might like whatever name he gives you. Relax a little. If you relax you might be able to talk.' Said the voice.
'You still haven't answered my question. What is your name?'
There was no reply.
She looked at Jale and blinked. She relaxed a little, but still stood upright.
"Well, what would suit a girl like you? Lets see, you're a Ninetales, so that's a start. You're also a fire type, which may help in naming you. My little sister had a Ninetales called Foxy once. Do you like the name Foxy?" he said, trying to think up a name.
She just stared at him.
"Nah, that name is kinda crap. There must be something we can call you."
He thought for a moment, and then an idea came to him.
"The first thing you did was use an ember attack soooo I think we should call you Ember"
She tilted her head. The name Ember appealed to her slightly. He smiled at her.
"You like the name Ember do you? Well its settled then, your new name is going to be Ember."
She smiled back at him a little, not realising she was smiling. She tried to sit down, but the cables stopped her. She looked at them and gave a little moaning sound. Jale stood up and walked towards her.
"Its ok, I'll take them things off if you want. Then you can relax a little bit more"
He looked at her, smiling. She seemed so frightened and yet so powerful all at once. He looked at the pipe dangling down from the top of the pod with the molten end. Moving it out of the way he reached out to remove the cables. She backed away and refused to let him touch her.
"Its ok Ember. I'm not going to hurt you, just remove these annoying cables."
She looked at him, her blank stare now a frightened look. She swallowed hard and nodded. He smiled and placed his hands the cable that was attached to her right arm.
Ember watched him closely. He had deep blue eyes, spiky brown hair and a warm smile. He was friendlier than the other scientists and he seemed to care more about her feelings than her physical status. Under his white lab coat was a light green top and blue trousers. She looked at him and wondered why he looked so different from her.
'He has no tails, fur, paws or anything like I have. Why does he look so different from me? What is his name? Maybe I should try to ask him that is if the words come out. But what if he laughs bat me if I can't speak? Argh, this I too confusing!' Ember's mind filled with questions, but the voice did not answer her.
Jale smiled at her as he pulled the last cable from her body. She wasn't at all what he had expected. He thought she'd look more animal rather than human, but she wasn't. Her face was like any other humans, but her blood red eyes were much larger. Plastered to her wet face were strands of golden hair. Her hair was very long, reaching below her waist, covering most of her body as it flowed over her. The nine golden tails glistened as the stasis fluid caught the light. Her ears were fox-like and her feet, but her hands were long, slender and around her wrist her golden fur ended leaving a pale golden skin. Her fur looked as if she was in costume rather than it being her own. She blinked but did not speak. Going back to his seat he took out a small book from his pocket.
"Your amazing, do you know that Ember?" he asked, flicking through the many pages full of Pokèmon drawings.
She sat down, now freed from the cables and looked at the book. He saw her looking at it and showed her one of his sketches of an Eevee.
"This is an Eevee. It's a Pokèmon kinda like you. I think we made an Eevee anthro"
He looked at the pods, looking for one that looked similar to an Eevee. Ember looked at them too. He was unsuccessful and turned back to looking through his book.
"Name?" came a soft voice.
Jale looked up at Ember quite shocked.
"Did you just talk?" he asked, his voice trembling.
She pointed to him.
"Name?" she asked again.
Jale pointed to himself with a slight shake.
"My name?"
She smiled at him, her eyes beaming.
"Yes. Name?"
"Urgh, ummm I'm called Jale. I'm s…sorry if…if I didn't tell you before." He spoke with a quiver in his voice, trying to hide it, but failing pathetically.
"Jale? I like it" she said still smiling.
"Urgh, yea ok"
He felt slightly at unease now that she was also talking. He didn't expect her to be able to speak with out being taught.
"Your…your talking?"
She nodded.
"Of course, well at least I think I should be. I couldn't before, but I can now. What is a Pokèmon? Oh, and what's an Eevee as well?"
Jale was shocked at the fact Ember didn't know what a Pokèmon was.
"Urgh a Pokèmon is a…erm…creature like you"
"What am I? Am I Eevee?"
"Oh no Ember your not an Eevee, you're a Ninetales, an evolved form of Vulpix"
"Ninetales? Vulpix? Evolved? I don't understand these words. What do they mean Jale?"
"But I thought you guys were given all knowledge of everything you should know, at least that's what I thought. So you have no idea what you are and what other Pokèmon are?"
She shook her head.
"Of course they won't know what Pokèmon are Jale. We couldn't give them complete knowledge of everything otherwise it could damage their brains and even kill them if they knew all that we wanted them to know, so some things will have to be taught to them" said the Professor as he walked into the room.
Ember saw him and cringed. She tried to hide in a corner of her pod where the glass was still standing. In her eyes were full of fear, anger and hate.
"But you could have at least given them knowledge of what they are sir"
A/N: Another end to another chapter. Like the way I add little notes to the beginning of the chapters? You'll find out what they mean soon enough.